In a remote desktop environment, a server runs a desktop session locally and provides the outputted graphics information to a remote client for display. For example, a user of a personal computing device, such as a laptop, desktop, or thin client may connect to the server and subsequently receive a stream of graphics information representing the desktop session managed by the server. In response, the client may output the graphics on an available display and subsequently process input from the user for transmission back to the server. This process continues, with the server transmitting the graphics stream and the client transmitting input events. In this manner, the client device may interact with a user interface as if it were available locally, even though the desktop session is managed by the server.